Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1887-07-07
A MIGHTY FORTRESS.
Restrictions With which viaitors to Glib.
raltar are Surrounded.


raltar are Surrounded.
There arc great number Of Moors
and Jews here beside the English, and
not a few Spaniards All foreigners
visiting the town are required to take
out pernais de sejoir, and must find
bondsmen TO go security for their
good behavior during the ten, fifteen
or twenty days for which the permit is
made out However, this stay may be
renewed after the expiration of the
time limit. The authorities prevent as
much as possible any acquisition in
the way Of new residents. This is to
the e-town only. Inside the limits Of the
barracks no strangers are admitted
after nightfall. The officers, however.
may introduce a friend for a period Of
month. but are hold in strict ac-
count for all his actions. Justice
is administered according to the
laws of England, but there is a pre-
vailing spirit Of the military court
martial in oil the proceedings Of the
court. The air. nlilitaire is inculcatcd
in all pertaining to the ''rock," and is
moro than an apparent seeming.
The majority of tho houses in the
town are built with fiat tops, which
enable the inhabitants to secure con.
siderable amount Of rain water. Tanks
are built under tho buildings and are
fitted with drains leading from the
roofs. 1t is tho water supply which
has always proved of vital Importance
to Gibraltar, but tho authorities have
finally mastered tho question, with
good water. Two large tanks, one
containing nine thousand and the
other eleven thousand gallons, arc
kept constantly full with which to
supply naval vessels.
Gibralter stands to-day the key to
tho Mediterranean. and Is the center of
that line Of fortresses which connects
Great Britain with those enormous
fields Of wealth in the East Indies.
The stratcgetic Importance of this posi-
tion was observed by the Saracens as
far back as I'll A. d., and under o
leader named Lorik fen Leyad landed
and fortified tho place in that year.
During period Of seven hundred
years from its first acquisition by tho
Saracens, Gibraltar was held either by
Moors or Saracens, and was constant
cause of war between these two races.
In 1416 Spanish force under the
Duke of Medina Sidonia wrcsted
the fortress from the Moors, and
so strengthened 1t Ms to bc con-
siderod impregnable. But in 1704 the
combined English and Dutch fleets,
under Sir George Rookie and tho Prince
Of Hesse-Darmstadt took tho 'rock''
1 from.tIe Spaniards and hold 1t until
! 1918, when It was confirmed to Great
Britain by the treaty OF Utrecht. The
Spaniards would not let Gibraltar gc
without another struggle, and attacked
the garrison In 1921; but cessation oi
hostilities soon came about on the
signing OF preliminaries OF peace be-
tween Spain and England.
The noted siege, which lasted from
1779 to 1783, marks ono Of tho greatest
annals in British military history. and
mover did troops win creator
renown than the famous garrison
that held Gibraltar against the
combined forces Of France and Spain.
All the implements Of modern warfare
wero used by the besiegers but the
'rock' proved imprognable. Captain
Drinkwater Of the British army Is
authority for stating that ono thousand
guns were brought to bear by the
allies, and that in the outer harbor
were anchored forty-sevon ships of the
line carrying the cnsigns of Franco and
Spain.
Tho stubbornness of tho defenders
was wonderful. fighting. rs they were,
against such odds; but in tho end 1t
brought victory to tho British stand
ards and immortalized Eliot and his
men. - Gibraltar COR. San. Frapcisco
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